SPACE September 2025 (No. 694)
2025 Chicago Architecture Biennial artistic director Florencia Rodriguez. Image courtesy of 2025 Chicago Architecture Biennial
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, 2025 Chicago Architecture Biennial will open on this coming Sep. 19. Adopting the theme ‘SHIFT: Architecture in Times of Radical Change’, the biennial explores how architecture can respond to pressing issues concerning our living environments – such as housing, ecology, and material innovation – and what role it can play in shaping our collective future. To this end, more than 100 architects, designers, and creators from around the world have been selected to present their work against the backdrop of iconic sites across the city of Chicago. The artistic director of this biennial is Florencia Rodríguez, an architect, writer, and educator, and notably the first Latin American artistic director in the event’s history. Rodríguez, who is also the founder and director of NESS, an international cultural platform for architecture, has expressed her hope that this biennial will serve as a critical platform where bold and imaginative ideas can be shared with the public.
The biennial will expand its educational programming with initiatives such as a podcast series, an open call for design ideas, and international collaborations with architecture schools. Participants range from emerging studios and artist collectives such as La Cabina de la Curiosidad, to world-renowned groups including Johnston Marklee (artistic director, 2017 Chicago Architecture Biennial), the globally recognised MASS Design Group known for its socially engaged architecture, and SO–IL, acclaimed for its experimental projects. The exhibitions and diverse public programmes will continue through Feb. 28, 2026.
